The Government wants to determine why some heavy vehicle operators are experiencing economic losses and delays in being granted special road access permits.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Michael McCormack said the review followed concerns being raised by industry about operators of some restricted-access heavy vehicles being required to wait for up to several months for permits allowing them to access the road network.

"To protect infrastructure and ensure the safety of other road users, oversized trucks and machinery that are outside the standard weight and/or dimension limits often require special authority to travel on certain roads," Mr. McCormack Told Australia's Lostistics and Mataerials Handling Magazine.

"In some cases, however, the time it is taking for this authority to be granted is much longer than anticipated, leaving trucking businesses unable to deliver the required goods when they are needed," he continued.  "We need to sort through the barriers to the efficient transport of large but essential materials and machinery and come up with both immediate and long-term responses to the issues.  The Oversize Overmass (OSOM) Review will therefore consider what changes to the regulatory framework and processes are required to ensure OSOM vehicle permits can be issued within a reasonable timeframe, without compromising safety."

The review is scheduled to be completed by October.  After that, it will produce a report for the federal, state, and territory transport ministers for their consideration.